Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Kidney Removal
Overview & Description
Kidney removal, or nephrectomy, is a surgery to remove a diseased or damaged kidney.
Who is a candidate for the procedure?
A kidney may be removed if a person:
How is the procedure performed?
There are three basic types of kidney removal, including:
A kidney removal is usually done using general anesthesia. This means that a person is put to sleep with medication and can feel no pain. The traditional type of surgery is called laparotomy. This involves making a fairly large cut into the front or side of the stomach. The ureter, which is the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder, and blood vessels are cut away from the kidney. The kidney is then removed.
A kidney can also be removed using a more modern type of surgery called laparoscopy. This involves making three or more small cuts at key points on the body surface around the kidney. A pencil-sized tube with a light and camera attached to the end of it is then inserted through one cut and into the stomach. Using the camera on the end of the tube, the inside of the stomach can be seen. The surgeon uses other thin tools that are inserted through the other small cuts to free the kidney. The kidney is then removed through a slightly larger cut in the stomach.